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Courtesy of the Assumption College sports information department, here’s this morning’s release about tight end Scott Simonson, who has been named as a Beyond Sports Network Third Team Preseason All-American:

Simonson, a Don Hansen’s Football Gazette Second Team All-American and Daktronics First Team All-Region selection in 2012, is coming off a 36-reception, 558-yard season that included a team-high six receiving touchdowns. A Northeast-10 Second Team All-Conference honoree, Simonson was also a Worcester Area First Team All-Star, a Don Hansen’s Football Gazette Super Region I First Team All-Region honoree and a two-time selection to the Northeast-10 Conference Weekly Honor Roll.

He has also drawn the attention of National Football League (NFL) scouts as the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Redskins have both conducted on-campus workouts with the 6-5, 240-pound senior.

The Hounds open the 2013 season on Saturday, September 7th as the team travels to Smithfield, R.I. to take on FCS Division I foe Bryant University at Bulldog Stadium. Assumption opens its home schedule on Friday, September 20th as the Hounds host Stonehill College for a 7 p.m. start.

Now that Peyton Manning is a free agent, where will he most likely end up next? (Photo Credit: Colts.com)

By Elizabeth Thomas

On Wednesday, Mar. 8, the Indianapolis Colts decided they wouldn’t renew Peyton Manning’s five-year, $90 million contract, which included a $28 million signing bonus. So, instead of picking up the remaining four-years on his current deal, the Colts decided to show Manning the door. And now, he’s a free agent quarterback looking for a new home, as well as a fresh start, too.

So, with all this in mind, I thought I’d provide five various organizations that should certainly consider signing the highly touted veteran quarterback.

Miami Dolphins:Since losing out on the Jeff Fisher sweepstakes, Miami hasn’t made too much noise this offseason. First-year head coach Joe Philbin and offensive coordinator Mike Sherman are committed to implementing a west coast offense, which Manning has never conducted. However, the former Colts gunslinger does own a home in South Beach, as well as won a Super Bowl at Dolphins Stadium, too, so that could certainly provide some leverage at the negotiating table. Also, the Dolphins offense would excel quite well with him under center, and force Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess and Reggie Bushto step-up their “game.” Manning could be an excellent puzzle piece for a veteran squad, but would a west coast offense be the straw that breaks the camels back? We’ll see!

Denver Broncos: With Tim Tebowbecoming not only the face of Denver’s franchise, but also a cultural icon, then it’s highly doubtful that the Broncos head coach John Fox would make any changes to tarnish his image, right? Think again! Manning seems determined to remain in the AFC, and while executive vice president of football operations John Elway wants to win now, then it’s likely that the Broncos should consider signing him as soon as possible. Elway and Manning are golf buddies, so it’s possible that the former Denver gunslinger could woo the free agent quarterback to the “Mile High” city.

New York Jets: New York has invested time and money in their quarterback, Mark Sanchez, who has led Gang Green to the AFC Championship twice in the past three seasons. However, if New York wants to end their championship drought, then adding Peyton might be necessary.

Arizona Cardinals: Who wouldn’t want to play football in the desert? Wouldn’t you want to join the Cardinals, so you could toss numerous touchdowns to the NFL’s most lucrative receiver, Larry Fitzgerald? Manning would be a great fit for Arizona, who still hasn’t won a Super Bowl. Also, if you acquire Manning, you’d probably get Reggie Wayne, who is a free agent, too.

The NFL announced on Wednesday that the New Orleans Saints, who were originally selected to to play in the Hall of Fame Game, will face-off against the Arizona Cardinals on August 6, 2012.

The Cardinals haven’t made a trip to Canton, Ohio since they were the St. Louis Cardinals in 1986, while the Saints haven’t played in this particular game since their 20-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007.

In a change of pace, I’m going to recap the late games first, because they were just outstanding.

GIANTS 24, PATRIOTS 20 – My “Game of the Day” comes from Foxboro. This was a rematch of Super Bowl XLII. And for fans of these two teams, it was déjà vu all over again. Late in the fourth quarter, Tom Brady led his team down the field, hitting Rob Gronkowski on 4th down to put New England up by three. But the Giants came right back, with help from a pass interference call against Sergio Brown that put the ball on the one-yard line. With 15 seconds left, Eli Manning hit Jake Ballardwith a one-yard TD pass to win the game for the Giants.

PACKERS 45, CHARGERS 38 – What a wild game this turned out to be. Aaron Rodgers is unstoppable right now. He was 21-for-26 for 247 yards and four touchdowns, much to the delight of all the Cheeseheads in attendance Qualcomm Stadium. Still, the Chargers came back with a Philip Rivers TD pass, a successful onside kick, and then another Rivers TD to cut the margin to seven points. Rivers threw four TD passes, but also threw three INT’s, two of which were returned for scores. Green Bay remains unbeaten at [8-0].

BRONCOS 38, RAIDERS 24 – In Oakland, the Broncos broke a 24-24 tie with 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Eddie Royalreturned a punt 85 yards for what turned out to be the winning touchdown. Willis McGahee ran for 163 of Denver’s 298 rushing yards and Tim Tebow threw two touchdown passes.

BENGALS 24, TITANS 17 – Is Cincinnati the NFL’s best-kept secret? Trailing 17-7 at the half, the Bengals rallied in the second half in Nashville. Andy Daltonthrew three touchdown passes. Cincinnati is [6-2]. The Bengals have won five in a row – their longest winning streak since 1988. Oh, and the Bengals host Pittsburgh next week.

CARDINALS 19, RAMS 13 (OT) – This was a matchup between two woeful teams, but it had a crazy finish. Arizona blocked a potential game-winning field goal to send the game into overtime. In OT, rookie Patrick Peterson fielded a punt on his own 1-yard line. You’re not supposed to do that, right? Well, a few moves and 99 yards later, Peterson and his teammates were celebrating a victory in the end zone at the other end of the field.

JETS 27, BILLS 11 – The Jets won a big AFC East game on the road at Orchard Park, NY. New York rushed for 126 yards, 76 of them by Shonn Greene. Buffalo turned the ball over three times. Both teams are now [5-3].

COWBOYS 23, SEAHAWKS 13 – Dallas is back to .500 on the season. In Arlington, Texas, the Cowboys broke open a 6-6 game in the second half. Tony Romo threw for 279 yards and 2 TD’s.

FALCONS 31, COLTS 7 – What a day for Atlanta wide receiver Julio Jones. The rookie only caught three passes, but two of them went for touchdowns of 50 and 80 yards as the Colts rolled at Indianapolis. The Colts are now the only winless team in the NFL, because….

DOLPHINS 31, CHIEFS 3 – Miami – yes, Miami – has finally broken through. And the Dolphins did so in surprisingly convincing fashion at Arrowhead Stadium. Matt Moore threw for 244 yards and three TD’s in the upset. The loss snaps the Chiefs’ four-game winning streak.

SAINTS 27, BUCCANEERS 16 – At the Superdome, New Orleans bounced back from an awful loss to the Rams with a solid win over a division rival. The Saints rushed for 195 yards, and Drew Breesthrew a pair of touchdown passes. New Orleans remains in sole possession of first place in the NFC South. Tampa Bay has lost three of its last four.

49ERS 19, REDSKINS 11 – San Francisco improved to [7-1] on the season with its fourth straight road victory, winning at Landover, MD. Frank Gore rushed for 107 yards, and the 49ers’ defense forced three Washington turnovers.

TEXANS 30, BROWNS 12 – Houston ran wild over Cleveland. The Texans had two running backs rush for over 100 yards: Arian Foster (124) and Ben Tate (115.) The Texans have won three in a row, and remain atop the AFC South.

Cam Newton has been quite impressive this season and it’s only been two games.

The rookie gunslinger currently ranks second in the NFL behindTom Bradywith 845 passing yards, and has also tossed three touchdowns and four interceptions too.

“Going into the game, coach asked us as a quarterback, [what are] the things that it’ll take to win and I don’t think I followed the number one rule and that was protect the football,” Newton said via the Carolina Panthers website.

OK, he may not be the second coming of Joe Montanaor Brett Favre 2.0, but all in all, he’s been quite impressive these past few weeks despite not earning a single win in the standings.

Against the Arizona Cardinals in week one, Newton registered three touchdowns, two in the air, and one on the ground, while his defense struggled against Kevin Kolb’s offense. Also, Newton complete 24-of-37 passes for 422 yards, but again, his team didn’t win.

This past Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, Newton helped the Panthers earn an early lead before it was erased by Aaron Rodger’s offense. Newton struggled in the second half, as well as recorded three interceptions. Although, while he showed his first-year true colors during the Panthers second game of the season, he did admit that he can’t turn the ball over or make decisions that’ll hurt his team.

“I’m going to get it,” Newton said. “The more I see it the more I know that it’s not college no more and it’s no gimmicks in this league, especially playing good teams. We played an excellent team in the Packers and they capitalized each and everyone of your mistakes.”

Newton and the Panthers will eventually get their first win of the season and while they may not win a lot of games this year, it certainly seems that Newton will continue to improve, as well as excel under the guidance of head coach Ron Rivera.

“Our coaches do an excellent job of getting us in the best play possible and it’s my job personally as a quarterback to make everything right. Whether it’s throwing the ball deep – throw it to the man or just checking the ball down. [You] can’t be greedy in this league and it’ll come back to bite you every single time,” Newton said.

Newton and the Panthers will look to earn their first win this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars at home and who knows, maybe the rookie gunslinger will rack up yet another 400-yard day.

1.) St. Louis Rams [9-7] – Is this the year the Rams return to the playoffs? Quarterback Sam Bradford showed tremendous progress last year, coming up just short of a division title. He appears to be the best quarterback in what’s shaping up to be yet another weak division. Defensive end Robert Quinn, the team’s first-round draft pick, should help bolster the pass rush.

2.) Arizona Cardinals [8-8] – This is Kevin Kolb’s team now. And the Cards will take anything as an improvement over last year, when they were near the bottom in passing yards and rushing yards. Larry Fitzgeraldmade waves during the offseason when he signed an 8-year, $120 million contract. But Arizona needs a lot more help on both sides of the ball to be a contender.

3.) Seattle Seahawks [6-10] – A lot of people are still wondering how the Seahawks not only won the division last year, but also won a playoff game. But this year will be different. Matt Hasselbeck is gone. Tavaris Jackson is the starter. Just how effective will he be? Does he have enough help around him to carry the load? They used their first-round pick on offensive tackle James Carpenter. There are just too many holes that this team needs to fill, and Seattle did not do a good job of filling them during the offseason.

4.) San Francisco 49ers [5-11] – A lot has changed in San Francisco. Jim Harbaugh is the coach. There are new offensive and defensive coordinators. Alex Smith gets another shot to be the starter at quarterback. He hasn’t done much in the pros, and there’s no reason to believe that will change in 2011. Fortunately they have Frank Gore at running back. Expect to see a lot more carries from him.

Rex Ryan (left) and Rob Ryan (right) are ready to lead their teams to the top!

By Matt Noonan

The NFL regular season is finally here, which means it is time to preview 10 marquee matchups to watch this season, so make sure you mark these dates on your calendar.

Dallas at New York Jets (Week 1) – Rob Ryan vs. Rex Ryan will be the headline for this particular matchup. Both Ryan brothers competed against one another last year; however, Rex’s Jets came out on top. Perhaps that’s some fuel on the fire for Rob Ryan’s defense and the Cowboys?

San Diego at New England (Week 2)– Both teams met against one another in week two of the ’07 season, but this time, Adalius Thomaswon’t be on the field. Does that mean Jerod Mayo will attempt a pick-six against Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers? Anything’s possible.

Philadelphia at Atlanta (Week 2) – Michael Vickreturns to Atlanta, Georgia on “Sunday Night Football.” Yet, one might wonder if Falcons owner Arthur Blank will want to shake Vick’s hand before or after the game? Also, does Blank and Vick still exchange hand written letters too?

Pittsburgh at Indianapolis (Week 3) – Former Colts head coach Tony Dungy believes Indianapolis will be doomed this season due to Peyton Manning’s health. If that’s the case, the Colts should lose this game. In fact, if the Colts lose this game, they’d be [0-3] at this point, right?

New York Jets at New England (Week 5) – You know deep down that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has this game circled on his calendar. In fact, I bet he’s talking to his barber, dentist, doctor and owner Bob Kraft about this particular meeting. In fact, he’s definitely talking to Kraft, who criticized his team’s game plan last year in the playoffs against the Jets.

Dallas at New England (Week 6) – The last time the Cowboys invaded Gillette Stadium, Quincy Carter was the quarterback and Bill Parcells was the head coach. Also, Dallas hadn’t won a playoff game either, but this time around, Jason Garrettis the man who walks the sidelines, while Tony Romocalls the plays under center. The Cowboys have indeed won a playoff game, (’09 against the Philadelphia Eagles), but should definitely consider this a must-win contest, especially against an elite team.

Eli Manning and the New York Giants may have beat the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, but can they do it again at Gillette Stadium this season?

New York Giants at New England (Week 9) – Expect Belichick and his team to look for revenge against the squad that ended their prefect season in Glendale, Arizona in ’07. Also, hopefully the Patriots defensive will be able to tackle Giants quarterback Eli Manningtoo.

Arizona at Philadelphia (Week 10) – Kevin Kolb returns to the “City of Brotherly Love.” Don’t expect Kolb to be the guaranteed starter in this game, but I’m sure there’ll be a decent amount of “boos” and jeers toward Kolb and his Cardinals.

San Francisco at Baltimore (Week 12) – Once again, it’s another brother vs. brother meeting, as John Harbaugh’s Ravens host Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers. The Ravens should have the upper hand in this particular matchup; yet, you just don’t know what quarterback Alex Smith might do for San Francisco.

New York Giants at New York Jets (Week 16/Christmas Eve) – Santa Clause, Rex Ryan, Mark Sanchezand Fireman Ed will be incredibly jolly during this contest, but who knows, maybe Giants head coach Tom Coughlin won’t be so nice and lead his New York team to victory.

Just for Fun– The Chicago Bears will travel to Detroit, Michigan over Columbus Day Weekend to take on the Lions under the “Monday Night” lights, which certainly should be an interesting affair. Hey, when was the last time the Lions appeared on a major stage like “Monday Night Football?” All in all, let’s keep our fingers crossed that quarterback Matthew Stafford remains healthy this season too.